


Smile like you mean it

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki loves messing with people, M/M, Pepper Potts-centric, Pepper worries way too much, Protective Pepper Potts, Secret Relationship, and he's entirely too good at it, loki is a little shit, temporary Lady Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 06:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14230965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: “A dance then,” Tony shot back. When the woman's nose wrinkled in perfect distaste, he leaned away carefully, and lifted one hand to touch his fingers to her cheek. “I just want everyone here to know that I’m the one you’ve chosen to give your attention to.”Tony's reputation might be well earned but that doesn't mean he likes being touched without permission, and when a stranger walks up to him at an SI benefit and kisses him straight on the lips, Pepper expects Tony's reaction to be explosive. But when he instead pulls the woman close and kisses her back– well, Pepper thinks that's probably cause for worry, but not overly so. Tony's lovers never last longer than a night, after all.





	Smile like you mean it

**Author's Note:**

> So I was writing the ostrich strategy sequel and it occurred to me that I've been neglecting Pepper recently. And then this just sort of wrote itself.

He was running late. _Again_. Honestly, by now Pepper expected it, but she still allowed herself to hope, to believe that maybe this time he’d see that it was important to the company, to her, and actually make an effort. She always had hope, and he always, always let her down.

Well, no, that was too harsh. He was always there when it mattered, when the world needed saving or when she was about to be murdered by crazed exes who breathed fire, but board meetings? Her birthday? A benefit to raise money for the Maria Stark Foundation’s new project to create a filter to provide clean drinking water in East Africa? Forget it.

Pepper sighed in absolute relief when the usual cacophony at the door finally announced Tony’s arrival, even though the night was nearing its end. The reporters who had been allowed inside the doors flocked back to the entrance, along with the prospective gold diggers and the desperate fame hoarders. Tony dodged them all expertly, his eyes darting around the room and hands plucking a champagne glass from a passing waiter. He found her quickly, decades of practice allowing him to spot her strawberry blonde hair in a crowd of hundreds before striding through the colourful dresses and dark suits to stand by her side.

She pre-emptively extracted herself from her conversation with the favourite politician of the week and turned in time to meet his cocky grin, the falseness of it only given away by the touch of annoyance in his gaze, unnoticeable to anyone but those who knew him well.

“Why do you always make me come to these things, Pep?” He whined in greeting, and she sighed in exasperated fondness. He was easier to deal with, she thought, now that he wasn’t really her responsibility, now that he no longer belonged to her.

Not that he ever really had, she reminded herself bitterly. She had given herself to Tony wholeheartedly, throwing herself into his life to fulfil his every whim before they had ever really been _anything._ She had all but presented everything she was to him on a silver platter, knowing but not ready to acknowledge that he would never be able to do the same, no matter how much he truly tried.

Tony Stark is a whirlwind, all consuming and easy to get caught up in– but nigh impossible to escape once you have fallen into his grasp. But Pepper had seen that they weren’t working, that Tony was going to keep pulling at her heart and her sympathies and her _habits_ until she ran back after every little snag, though he was never changing but always whispering sweet promises and careful vows that would never truly be kept. She had known that, and from the eventual ease with which Tony had let her go, he had known it as well.

He seemed happier, these days. There was something lighter about him in the way that he dealt with other people– a spark in his eye that had never quite been there before, like he was enjoying a private joke that no one else could hope to understand. Pepper was glad, and honestly warmed. She _had_ worried for him.

“You know exactly why,” she said fondly, answering his question. “This is important.”

“Yeah, yeah, and the attention brought forth by my sexy self will help get more money for the cause,” Tony replied. “But come on, surely you could have dragged Cap into it as well, he’d get at least _half_ as much attention as me.”

“Unfortunately, Steve is on the other side of the country,” Pepper deadpanned, Tony’s eyes glinting with amusement. “And besides, this is a Stark Industries gala, not an Avengers frat party.” She breathed deeply for a moment. “Please, Tony. Just do a few rounds of the room, make a few people happy, lighten a few pockets—“

“Cut it out, I’m here already, aren’t I?” Tony asked.

“Yes,” said Pepper, crossing her arms. “Two hours late.”

Tony smiled sheepishly. “I got caught up.”

“You were in your workshop, you mean.”

“Exactly.” Tony’s smile widened, his teeth flashing, and Pepper sighed in the face of the impossible challenge.

“All right, Tony,” she allowed. “Thank you for coming at all, I suppose. But there are some things I need to talk to you about.”

It was Tony’s turn to sigh, and his eyes began darting around, no doubt searching for a second glass to replace the empty one in his hand.

“C’mon, Pep,” Tony said, managing to wave over a waiter and swap his empty flute for a one full of sparkling alcohol. Pepper’s fingers itched to take it from him, a habit born of far too many worried mornings, but that wasn’t her job any more, and she knew that the action would only be met with iciness. “Leave the business for meetings. This is a party.”

“Maybe I would if you actually showed up to the meetings,” Pepper pressed. Her lips curled in distaste as she watched Tony throw back the expensive champagne in one gulp.

“This is good stuff,” Tony said, narrowing his eyes at the newly empty flute before once again going to wave down the waiter who had hardly moved more than a few yards away. And Pepper knew him well enough to recognise that he was distracted now, his attention drawn away from her– and that she would be able to steal an agreement for him to uphold.

“In the morning then?” she asked.

“Sure,” Tony nodded. “Whenever suits you, I guess, JARVIS’ll let you in, as always. Come on– waiter, get over here!”

Pepper sighed in exasperation, glad that she had at least managed to get what she wanted from him.

Tony looked about to go and actually chase a waiter down when a pale, perfectly manicured hand curled over Tony’s shoulder, the woman to whom it belonged stepping up close behind into his personal space.

Pepper watched in resigned anticipation as Tony turned, his lips parting in question. She waited for the complaint, for the flippant refusal to spend any time with a person who would be presumptuous enough to touch without permission– because yes, Tony’s reputation was well earned, but he wouldn’t ever give anyone so pushy the time of day. She only caught a glimpse of sharp features and green eyes before the woman’s hands were framing Tony’s face and her lips were sliding over his, pressing forward eagerly in practiced movements that spoke of a possessiveness Pepper knew Tony would immediately and violently reject.

But to her surprise, one of Tony’s arms immediately wrapped around the woman’s waist to pull her tight against him, the empty flute passed to the finally returned waiter without a thought, while his other hand twisted into her loose dark hair. Pepper watched in bemused shock, suddenly disorientated by the way that Tony fell into the stranger’s kiss with absolute abandon, not caring that onlookers had begun to gape. They moved against one another in perfect sync, lips and tongues dancing far too sensually to be appropriate in the public setting, hands gripping tightly and holding their bodies close.

The woman moved back first, her bright eyes glinting in amusement, highlighted by the dark forest green of her dress. The dress itself seemed to seep with the flagrancy of money, simple yet elegant– long sleeved and close fitting, with the only adornment a touch of gold at the shoulders, bodice, and waist. She cut a stunning figure, and her beauty was only augmented by the sharpness in her gaze and in the upturn to her lips that was just begging for someone to challenge her wit. Pepper knew the type– this woman was just asking for someone to call her out on anything so that she could shoot back and skin them alive. Usually, Pepper would say that Tony would have been the perfect candidate for exchanging barbs, but instead of the expected hostility Tony was looking up into the tall woman’s eyes with what could only be adoration. Pepper had to blink to make sure that she hadn’t imagined it.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Tony purred, both hands gently caressing her waist now, a playful smirk dancing at the corner of his lips. “My night is suddenly looking a whole lot better than I had expected.”

The woman smiled, her perfect teeth flashing in the dim lighting of the gala. Then she leaned in to whisper something into Tony’s ear that Pepper couldn’t quite catch, and Tony’s grin widened into something hungry.

“You might have to buy me a drink, first, sweetheart,” Tony said, turning his head so that his lips just barely brushed against the woman’s.

“Get your own. There _is_ an open bar,” she replied, and Pepper felt her eyes widen. The woman’s voice wasn’t quite… right. It wasn’t that it was deeper than expected for a woman of her figure, more a dark chocolate than chiming bells, but nor was it the way that the words rolled from her tongue like each one was perfectly chosen– how despite the simplicity of the sentence, every syllable seemed expertly selected and directed like a weapon. No, there was something underneath all that, something burning with persuasion in a way that Pepper didn’t quite like.

“A dance then,” Tony shot back. When the woman’s nose wrinkled in perfect distaste, he leaned away carefully, and lifted one hand to touch his fingers to her cheek. “I just want everyone here to know that _I’m_ the one you’ve chosen to give your attention to.”

Pepper frowned, considering the wording. After all, Tony was quite clearly the star of the room, every eye wandering to him, never willing to let the great Tony Stark out of sight for fear that he would do something they would miss. That Tony was claiming to stand in this woman’s shadow was—

Well, to be honest, it was classic Tony. He’d tried the flattery tactic on Pepper more than a few times, and it had been alluring, but she’d always brushed it off as just Tony being Tony. He _knew_ he was the star of the show, always did, and while he was a master at appearing genuine such platitudes always fell flat.

But the green-eyed woman preened, clearly believing the words to be sincere. Her red painted lips pressed to Tony’s again for a fraction of a moment before she pulled back in one graceful twirl, her fingers curling around Tony’s wrist and pulling him onto the near empty dance floor, leaving Pepper staring after them with worry.

She didn’t know why it was rubbing her the wrong way. The attention Tony gifted to beautiful women was always intense but fleeting, and Pepper knew that the woman wouldn’t last further than Tony’s next foray into his workshop. But there was something about the way Tony held himself with her, the way his hands trailed at her waist, the way that his eyes never left her for longer than a few seconds as though he was having difficulty focusing on the rest of the room…

Tony used to look at _her_ like that.

But no, this wasn’t _jealousy_. Pepper knew herself far too well for that, and she knew that she had moved on from Tony. She could look at it objectively, and this was… worry. Tony wasn’t a part of her life the way he used to be but he hadn’t fundamentally changed– he would always be reluctant to trust, but the familiarity with which he responded to this woman spoke of something deeper than mere desire, something that took time to develop. Yet Pepper _knew_ that she had never seen her before in her life. Yes, it was definitely worrying.

Noticing that Pepper was standing alone the slimy politician quickly sought to recapture her attention, and Pepper turned to him with a welcoming, practiced smile. But she kept an eye on Tony as he spun across the floor, the movements ostentatious enough to be true to his goal of showing off, yet intimate enough that the pair really did look good together. Despite the fact that the woman was an easy six inches taller than Tony even while wearing flat, practical shoes, there was no awkwardness or breaks in their flow. It was enchanting to watch, and once again Pepper found herself at something of a loss.

Then the politician made an offhand comment about how the company would be in a precarious position when she finally ‘settled down’, and somewhere in between the roasting Pepper politely served him and the politician’s shamed stammering, Tony and his partner of the night slipped away.

No matter. Pepper had Tony’s agreement that he would talk business with her in the morning, and she wasn’t about to let him get out of it– she would see him bright and early the next day.

At the very least, she supposed she should be glad that the mystery lady had dragged Tony out after only two glasses of champagne. She’d seen enough of what happened when Tony didn’t manage to find someone entertaining enough to take home before he’d had a few too many, and it wasn’t an experience she had been hoping to repeat that night.

In the usual absence of her heavy hitter, she had a few pockets to lighten on her own.

—«•»—

Tony’s mansion felt both familiar and alien as Pepper stepped up to the front door the following morning. She had once felt almost as comfortable in this place as in her own home, sweeping through with perfect ease to keep Tony properly fed and to ask for his signature on every little thing. Then it _had_ become her home, for a short while, and maybe that was where she had faltered. Despite the ease she felt, the barrier of ‘this is my place of work’ had always remained carefully in place, and once it had been torn down it never could be rebuilt. This was now the home of her friend, and it never would feel as easy ever again.

“Good morning, Miss Potts,” JARVIS greeted, and at least he was something welcoming and familiar.

“Good morning, JARVIS,” she returned, pulling herself together and standing tall. “We have an appointment– don’t bother telling Tony I’m here, I’ll find him.”

There was a pause that was perhaps a little longer than Pepper would expect from an Artificial Intelligence.

“Of course,” JARVIS answered eventually. “And may I say that it is a pleasure to have you here again.”

Pepper smiled. “Thank you, JARVIS.”

“You are very welcome, Miss Potts.”

The door swung open under JARVIS’ command, and Pepper strode confidently into the house, all her previous hesitation melting away. She held her bag loosely in her hands, tension easing. She was here for business, and _that_ , at least, was something she had years of untainted experience to fall back on.

As she came into the house proper something green flashed in the corner of her eye, like a bright reflection that lasted only a moment. She turned immediately, a frown already in place that only deepened as she caught sight of movement in the kitchen.

It was the woman from the night before, clad in a loose pair of cotton pants and a shirt that Pepper immediately recognised as one of Tony’s favourites. Her hair was still loose but messy and knotted, her face was clean of makeup, and the dark shadows under her eyes spoke of exhaustion. But the brilliance and sharp intelligence of her watchful gaze was unmuted, and the casual, _comfortable_ way she was leaning against the counter beside the heating kettle was contradicted by the tight set of her shoulders, betraying a readiness to pounce. It put Pepper on guard, but she refused to be intimidated and moved closer, keeping the kitchen island between them but ensuring her own gaze remained stern.

“Pepper Potts,” the stranger said before Pepper could say a thing, the words dripping with just as much honey as her voice had been the night before, the sweet falseness of it enough to disgust and yet– it was difficult not to be drawn in.

“That’s me,” Pepper replied, raising an eyebrow, unwilling to give so much as an inch. “And you are?”

“Interested.” The woman rolled the word over on her tongue before letting it spill out, the syllables stretched enticingly. “Anthony speaks of you often.”

“Oh?” Both of Pepper’s brows were raised now, incredulity replacing disdain. “He lets you call him that?”

“I wouldn’t say that he _lets_ me.” The smirk that accompanied that admission was shamelessly suggestive, and despite all that the years of practice dealing with Tony had gained her Pepper just couldn’t hold back the eye roll. The woman noticed, but it seemed to amuse rather than annoy, which Pepper found irritating.

And it _was_ irritating, because she had the feeling that had she met this woman in a different circumstance they might have got along. The sharp wit and the clear intelligence she possessed was a deadly combination, but she seemed to lack the common sense to detect the fact that she was about to be left high and dry.

The soft _ding_ of the boiled kettle drew the woman’s attention, and Pepper placed her bag on the island and watched as the other carefully poured hot water into a mug that was far too personalised to belong in Tony’s kitchen– a large silver thing with the words ‘I failed Muggle Studies’ scrawled across it in emerald cursive. She turned back to face Pepper with the mug in her left hand, her right dunking the teabag in and out. It was strange to watch– usually, Tony’s conquests were awed by the house but uncomfortable. Even the cock-sure journalists were unnerved by JARVIS. But this one… seemed at ease, perhaps even more so than Pepper did.

They considered each other, almost squaring off while the tea finished brewing. The bag was disposed of and the mug was being sipped at before Pepper spoke again.

“I came to speak with Tony,” she said, and if she placed slight emphasis on the name then she couldn’t be blamed for it. “Is he in the workshop?”

“I think he’s still sleeping.” The straight-delivered reply was accompanied by another amused smirk, eyes flashing over the brim of the unfamiliar mug. “He was rather… worn out, last night.”

A scuffle from the hall caught both of their attention, and Pepper’s gaze turned just in time to see Tony stumble into the room, moving slowly but purposefully toward the kitchen. Without even turning to look, the mystery woman plucked another steaming mug from somewhere behind her - this time a red and gold monstrosity with the visage of Iron Man printed on the side - and held it out to Tony.

“Oh _yes_ ,” Tony said, breathing in deeply before taking a gulp. “You are perfect.”

For a moment, Pepper thought he might have been talking to the coffee, but his eyes flickered up to meet the still amused green gaze. Then Tony blinked in confusion, and he raised one hand to rudely poke the woman in the cheek.

“Why do you look like that?” Tony asked with a frown. She didn’t answer verbally, but her gaze turned to Pepper, and Tony took the cue, looking around. When he caught sight of her, his eyes widened in understanding and the exhaustion seemed to fall from his frame, the shock doing a better job of waking him than the caffeine. “ _Oh_ ,” he said. “Pep. What’re you doing here?”

“You agreed to talk business,” Pepper said firmly.

“Oh,” Tony said again. “Oh, yeah, right. I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did,” Pepper confirmed. “I would rather it wait, however, until you are done?” Pepper let her own gaze slide across to the woman, who didn’t bother to move from her relaxed position.

Tony turned between the two ladies in a manner that was almost comical, the crease on his brow deepening. He paused on the other woman, his poking fingers turning into a caring caress.

“It’s Pepper,” he said, and the woman frowned.

“You would trust her?” she asked, and Pepper tensed. There was a time when no one would ever think to ask that question, when Tony Stark and ‘the famous Pepper Potts’ went hand in hand. But she was calmed when Tony immediately nodded.

“It’s _Pepper_ ,” he stressed. Then his voice softened. “You know what she means to me. I won’t make you do this, but…”

The woman sighed and closed her eyes, leaning into Tony’s touch. As she did so, her body shimmered with green power for a moment, the exact shade that had alerted Pepper to her presence in the first place. Pepper watched in disbelief as the woman’s features shifted into something different, her face not changing entirely but becoming a little harder, her shoulders wider, her hips narrower. When the green faded a man was standing in her place, and it was surely _impossible_ that this was the same person– but he was wearing the same clothes; his hair was a little shorter but equally as messy; and when he opened his eyes, Pepper saw that they were still the exact same shade of green.

“Thank you,” Tony whispered, smiling fondly.

“It matters little to me,” the man replied, and although his voice was now more masculine that strange undertone still danced around his words. “You know that if not for Thor, I would—“

“ _Thank_ you,” Tony repeated, leaning in and pressing a kiss to the man’s lips. And he kissed with the same affection that he had the night before, unheeding of the changed figure.

“Tony,” Pepper interrupted, her own voice carefully controlled, something she knew she never would have been able to accomplish prior to Tony’s announcement as Iron Man and all the craziness that had followed.

Tony pulled back from the kiss and gave his partner a grin before turning to Pepper, though his hands remained where they had become entangled in the Black Sabbath t-shirt.

“Pepper,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “I think it’s time that I properly introduced you to Loki.”

The name immediately sent warning bells ringing through Pepper’s mind, and she had to force herself to take a deep breath. Tony’s face was still earnest but there was a hint of wariness in his eyes that Pepper knew she couldn’t dismiss. Nor could she discount the way that Loki’s expression had suddenly pinched, his shoulders tensing in a manner that they hadn’t even when Pepper had suggested Loki was only a one-night stand. Because it was rapidly becoming apparent that she had made a massive error in judgement, and that Loki was anything but. The downturn to Loki’s lips was quite clearly wary and the way he had suddenly angled his body around Tony’s was unmistakeably protective, and _that_ more than anything had Pepper revaluating the situation.

Slowly, cautiously, Pepper moved around the island as if she were approaching a wounded animal, offering her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you _properly,_ Loki,” she said, her voice deliberately but not dishonestly bright. “I’m Pepper.”

Loki watched her carefully, his gaze calculating. Then he gave her a nod, his expression returning to the dry amusement which seemed to be his usual response.

“I suppose you’ll stop looking at me like a piece of scum to be pitied,” Loki mused as he took her hand. “Anthony is not about to– what is the saying? Throw me out to the curb.”

“I think you’d kill me if I tried,” Tony snorted, though he gave Pepper a grateful smile.

“No,” Loki replied. “But I get the kids in the divorce, and you wouldn’t survive a day without JARVIS.”

“He’s right, Sir,” the AI piped in.

“Okay, first of all, I could totally survive at least a week,” Tony started, and the conversation was just so familiar that Pepper couldn’t help the giggle.

“So you’ve finally learned your social security number?” She asked, and Tony looked at her with wide, wounded eyes.

“This isn’t fair,” he said to her. Then– “Loki, I’ve changed my mind. Can you wipe her memory? I’m not happy with you three ganging up on me.”

“Hmmm,” Loki mused. “I think not.” The green in his gaze was dancing with mirth as he turned back to consider Pepper once again. “I think I like this one.”

Pepper was almost insulted by the way that he said that– ‘ _this one’_ , as if she were something less than him. But then her self-preservation instinct kicked in, reminding her that this was a _god_. He may not look it while wearing Tony’s old clothes and drinking from his reclaimed Harry Potter mug, but he had enough power to level a city block in probably just one of his toes, and he could surely snap her neck without a thought.

But… Pepper didn’t think that he would. She could recognise the care in his expression as he watched Tony, and the affection in the way that his fingers brushed at the small of Tony’s back could only truly be interpreted in one way, and Pepper knew that Loki would never truly do anything that would harm Tony. For that reason alone, she knew, Loki would leave her be.

“All right,” she sighed. “Tony, this doesn’t change the fact that–“

“Okay, okay,” he groaned. Then he turned to Loki. “Do you mind—“

Loki kissed him soundly, cutting him off for a moment before firmly shoving him away again.

“Do hurry, darling,” he said. “Get it sorted so that we may move to more entertaining things.”

“Or we could just do more entertaining things now?” Tony tried, reaching out, but Loki merely threw Pepper an exasperated look that was achingly familiar before moving for the living room. She watched in disbelief as the god - a literal _god_ \- sprawled across Tony’s couch and began reading a paperback. It was surreal, and yet– only Tony Stark could end up with something such as this.

Tony shook his head with a smile before gulping down the last of the coffee in the self-indulgent mug. Then he turned to back to Pepper, his hands reaching for the papers with a grimace. Pepper spread the documents across the island with practiced ease and watched as Tony flicked through, his concentration quite clearly torn though he did appear to be actually reading the papers.

Pepper watched him carefully, taking note of everything she had observed over the past weeks. He _had_ been lighter, happier, maybe. And _if_ Loki were the cause of that… she may have to put up with him. For Tony’s sake. But there were a few issues that needed to be addressed.

She decided to start easy.

“Is there an explanation for why he was, well, _female_ earlier, and now he isn’t?” Pepper asked, keeping her tone light.

Tony shrugged, signing the last page with a flourish. “It’s a serviceable enough disguise, and I think he’s just as comfortable like that as he is otherwise.”

Well, all right then. Pepper could understand that.

“And… the fact that it’s _Loki_?” Pepper asked.

“Well, yeah, it’s Loki,” Tony said, staring at her like she’d grown another head. “Of course it is. If he were anyone else I don’t think I would have put up with him this long.”

Pepper sighed fondly, amused despite herself at the affection in Tony’s words. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “I know. That’s why we decided to keep it on the down low. Even Rhodey doesn’t know, and the Avengers _definitely_ don't. But I won’t let him go, Pep,” Tony said, his gaze suddenly burning with fierce determination. “And this isn’t some stupid romantic thing, this isn’t me crying my poor, fragile heart out about how I would die without him. I could manage if they made me leave him, but I _won’t_.”

And then Pepper paused, because all of a sudden she felt as though she could _see_. Tony hadn’t been tamed, not at all, and not in the manner that Pepper had attempted. Loki was just as much a whirlwind as Tony, but rather than battling the storm they complemented each other, not at all restraining but granting a freedom and understanding that they never could have found in anyone else.

She had been right in thinking that this ran deeper than desire– for goodness sake, this ran deeper than mere _affection_.

“How long?” Pepper asked softly. Tony’s gaze didn’t shift from where Loki was sitting on the couch, though the corners of his lips lifted into a fond smile, his expression so tender that Pepper could almost forget it was directed at a thousand year old psychopath.

“Long enough,” he replied.

There was no mistaking which emotion laced his voice, and somehow, it wasn’t surprising. It seemed right, _inevitable_ that this were to happen, that in another being so like Tony himself he would finally find some measure of bliss. When Pepper searched his face she found nothing but happiness etched across his expression, and it was then, in that moment, that she finally knew that he was going to be all right.

And when Pepper smiled in response, there was nothing practiced or false about it in the slightest.


End file.
